A Day When Everything Went Right

There’s so much negativity in the world that I thought I’d write on something positive.  The fond memories that were once washed up came flooding back. 

It all came together one day in May of 1991.  The occasion was my High School’s National Honor Society Dinner which was held to induct new members for the upcoming year.  I was privileged to serve as the President.  It’s was not just the title that I held in high esteem.  It was my confidence too. 

You see, I was extremely shy most of my life.  As valedictorian, I answered questions in class, but I mostly was quiet.  This was the way it had been…until then.  As I was going to be graduating and going on to college, I accepted the position as President to prove to others, but mostly myself, that I could break out of my proverbial shell.  It worked.

I had to hold biweekly meetings and then plan the preparations and ceremony for that year.  That meant that I would be doing a lot of public speaking, something that I used to find very difficult.  As the saying goes, “Practice makes perfect.”   It certainly did.

Since it was 1991, we chose a literary theme, because "1991" is a palindrome, something that is spelled the same frontward and backwards.  We each shared one of our favorite quotes and explained why.  I loved all of the selections, especially my twin sister’s which came from Master Splinter in the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles.  I can’t remember mine. 

What I do remember is all the preparation that went into that evening and the standing ovation that culminated the ending.  When I’m prepared, my confidence soars.  And was I prepared.  I must have recited my lines 50-100 times.  But actually most were personal and from my inner thoughts so they were already ingrained. 

The evening came and everyone looked stunning.  The Dinner was held at the Hyatt Regency and was always touted as an upscale event.  My spiral hair lay just right.  It was even a good hair day.  I wore a beautiful two-piece skirt suit that was pale peach and embossed with a floral design.  The belt had a D-ring and cinched my waist.  But what was really beautiful was my composure.  I came across calm and secure.  My eyes, which usually darted from attention, met the audience’s at all times.  My voice, typically hardly more than a whisper, projected perfectly.  When it was over, everyone echoed my sentiments.

The only thing that wasn’t perfect was that the viedographer lost the tape!!